The Fifteenth
The heavy bass of the club pulsed through Riley's chest as she stood behind the bar, her skimpy outfit making her feel more exposed than usual. Tonight was different. It was the night of the big shipment, the fifteenth of the month. Every shift had felt like a game of balance, but this—knowing the room was filled with dangerous men, always needing to be on her game—was especially draining. The low lights and haze of cigarette smoke blurred the lines between roles and reality.
It was twenty minutes from closing; twenty minutes before the start of the meeting, and the bar was filling up with more and more dangerous looking people. She hadn't originally been assigned to the after-hours shift, but she had managed to swap with one of the other bartenders. She glanced at Luke, making eye contact. She gave a subtle nod before looking away, not wanting to reveal their connection and jeopardize their covers.
Her eyes zeroed in on her current target, a regular at the club who had been making waves with some of the more dangerous clientele. He leaned in, the alcohol on his breath nearly making her gag, but she smiled sweetly.
"So, what brings a guy like you here every night?" she asked, her voice light, trying to sound genuinely interested.
He smirked, his hand sliding over the bar a little too close to hers. "Maybe I'm here for you, sweetheart."
Riley gritted her teeth beneath the forced smile. "Is that so?" she flirted back, batting her lashes while keeping her tone playful, coaxing. "I bet a guy like you gets into all kinds of fun, huh? You must know what's going on around here."
The guy chuckled darkly, inching even closer. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't."
Riley's stomach twisted, trying to keep her head in the game. He was talking—almost—but every inch of her skin crawled as his hand slid onto her waist, fingers too comfortable as they squeezed.
She was about to lean further into the act when suddenly, the man's eyes flicked over her shoulder, and his expression changed—no longer cocky, but fearful. Riley turned just in time to see Luke approaching, his presence looming behind her like a shadow.
"Is there a problem here?" Luke asked, his voice cold and low. His eyes locked on the man's hand, still resting possessively on Riley's waist.
The guy quickly withdrew, muttering under his breath. "Nah, man. No problem."
"Good. Because I'd hate for there to be one," Luke said, stepping even closer, his body tense. The man backed away, mumbling something unintelligible before disappearing into the crowd.
Riley glared at Luke, her cheeks flushing with anger. "What the hell was that?" she snapped, pushing past him and storming toward the back room.
He followed her until they were safely alone inside the women's break room.
"Riley—" Luke started, but she didn't let him finish.
"I had it under control!" she hissed, furious. "I was this close to getting something useful, and you scared him off!"
"He was getting too handsy," Luke shot back, his jaw clenched. "I wasn't about to let him put his hands all over you."
"I'm not some damsel in distress," she snapped. "I can handle myself!"
Luke said nothing, folding his arms over his broad chest.
"You could have blown my cover, and yours, Luke," Riley said, waving her arms around. "I'm fine. Get out of here."
Without waiting for a response, or to see if he had left, she stormed back down the dimly lit hallway, too angry to notice that she had pushed into the wrong door. It wasn't until she was inside that the hair on the back of her neck stood up, a cold chill running down her spine.
YOU ARE READING
Blurred Lines
Romance"I made a promise to always be there for you," he said, his voice tight with emotion. "And you're making it impossible for me to keep it." She froze at the door, her back to him, her heart pounding in her chest. The words hung in the air like a weig...
